Encyclopedia of Experiments: Immunology
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Transcript
To create an excisional skin wound, begin by placing an anesthetized mouse in a prone position and shaving its back to expose the epidermis, the outermost skin layer.
Apply a disinfectant solution to reduce the contamination risk. Take a punch biopsy tool — a hollow metal tool with a circular blade at the edge, to create a precise cut.
Position the punch biopsy tool perpendicularly at the center of the pre-prepared surgical area. Apply downward pressure on the epidermis to create a circular incision.
Twist the punch biopsy tool while penetrating the epidermis and dermis — the middle layer of the skin. This generates a complete circular cut on the epidermis and dermis without damaging the underlying fascia which is a fibrous connective tissue layer encasing the muscle.
Dissect the layers of skin following a circular pattern and remove them, creating an excisional skin wound with an exposed subcutaneous layer, ready for immunological studies.
